BBC - Travel - Why is Atlanta the world’s busiest airport? Travel Tips Why is Atlanta the world’s busiest airport? With more than 250,000 passengers and nearly 2,500 arrivals and departures each day, a layover at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is not uncommon. By Suemedha Sood 8 February 2013 One might expect the world’s busiest airport to be located in New York or London or Beijing, but the distinction actually belongs to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, located in the southern US city of Atlanta, Georgia. No matter which way you calculate it, Hartsfield-Jackson has been the world’s busiest since 1998. Not only does it attract more travellers than any other airport in the world (with about 92.4 million passengers passing through in 2011, the last full year on record), it also manages more aircraft movements (that is, more takeoffs and landings) than any airport in the world – with about 950,000 in 2010, also the last year on record.

All of this begs the question, why is Atlanta the busiest hub for air travel in the world? The Delta factor Atlanta is home to one of the world’s largest airlines. Delta Air Lines was founded in the city of Macon, Georgia (originally as a crop-dusting company called Huff Daland Dusters) and later moved its headquarters about 85 miles north to Atlanta in 1941 (after running its first passenger flights under the name Delta Air Service in 1929). Until 2012, Delta held the record for most annual traffic – measured by “revenue passenger miles” (RPM) – of any airline in the world. The metric of RPMs takes into account both the number of passengers carried and the distances an airline flew during a given year. In 2012 though, Delta’s RPM was beaten by United Airlines , which had grown in size following the 2010 merger between United and Continental Airlines.

So it makes sense, then, that Chicago, home to United’s headquarters, hosts the world’s second busiest airport as measured by aircraft movements – with 882,627 in 2010 – and the world’s fourth busiest as measured by sheer passenger numbers – with 66.6 million passengers in 2011. (The second and third busiest by number of passengers in 2011 are Beijing Capital International Airport, with 77.4 million and London Heathrow Airport with 69.4 million) Hartsfield-Jackson serves 225 destinations in 51 countries , receives more than 250,000 passengers a day, and sees nearly 2,500 arrivals and departures per day. Out of this, Delta runs about 1,000 flights daily , serving more than 200 destinations. The location According to data collected by Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Atlanta is located within a two-hour flight of 80% of the US population, making the city a major port of entry into the US and a logical stopover for travel within the expansive country.

Hartsfield-Jackson is also the only airport located in Atlanta and by far the biggest airport in Georgia. Most other major hub cities, such as New York, split traffic between two or more major airports. The nearest major airport to Hartsfield-Jackson, is 250 miles northwest, in Nashville, Tennessee. The city Hartsfield-Jackson also happens to be located in a city that attracts its fair share of travellers. Atlanta has been ranked the seventh most visited city for business travel in the US – unsurprising, since it is home to the headquarters of 10 Fortune 500 companies , including Coca-Cola, Home Depot (a massive home improvement retailer), UPS (the United Parcel Service) and, of course, Delta Air Lines. For non-business visitors, Atlanta is also home to perhaps the world’s largest aquarium , where visitors can find the biggest fish on Earth . Rivalled only by the new SEA Aquarium in Singapore (which also calls itself the world’s largest), the Georgia Aquarium holds more than 8 million gallons of water and provides habitat to around 120,000 animals, according to aquarium statistics . Atlanta’s big companies also offer behind-the-scenes tours popular with all kinds of travellers.

Coca Cola offers an attraction called The World of Coca-Cola, a sort of museum taking tourists into the history of one of the planet’s most consumed beverages. CNN, the 24-hour cable news channel available around the world, has a popular Inside CNN Studio Tour . If you find yourself enduring the all-too-common layover in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Jaunted offers five ideas for passing the time – including renting out a room at the airport’s unique Minute Suites, which let you rent out a private room by the hour or for the night in Terminal B, and dining at the upscale “southernnational” joint One Flew South, a restaurant in Terminal E incorporating southern ingredients and techniques to international cuisine fit for the typical Hartsfield traveller.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) - #1 Busiest Airport in US Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) – #1 Busiest Airport in US Search Overview Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) has held the title for the busiest airport in the world in terms of passengers since 1998, as well as the busiest for operations (which includes landings and take-offs) since 2005, when it overtook Chicago O’Hare. Click to view full Infographic In 2011, Hartsfield Jackson served 92 million passengers on 923,991 flights. Though it is an international airport serving every region of the world, Atlanta is a hub for the Southeast United States, and most of its flights are domestic. Atlanta is a convenient location for an airport because it situated within a two-hour flight of 80% of the U.S. population. Hartsfield-Jackson is the primary hub of Delta Air Lines (ExpressJet) and AirTran Airways, as well as a focus city for Southwest Airlines.

These airlines have brought the majority of traffic to Hartsfield-Jackson, helping make it one of the busiest airports in the world. More than fifteen airlines serve Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The airport expects to continue increasing these numbers in the future, and is currently expanding its facilities to meet demand. A fifth runway was added in 2006, the latest people mover system, the ATL SkyTrain opened in 2009, and a new international terminal opens in 2012, complete with its own parking lot. These features are intended to improve passenger flow through the airport, reducing check-in and wait times, and making travel go more smoothly. In 2011, Hartsfield-Jackson was named the world’s most efficient airport by the Air Transport Research Society. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport serves 150 destinations in the United States and 75 destinations in 50 different countries internationally. Each day, over 2,000 arrivals and departures bring about 250,000 passengers through ATL. Airport Services Wi-Fi: Hartsfield-Jackson airport does have Wi-Fi for its passengers, but the service is not free.

Several carrier services are available around the airport with their own charges Shopping and dining: ATL offers over 200 options for concessions around the airport, in a wide variety of flavors, including local specialties like Savannah’s Candy Kitchen. Shops to meet every need are also found, from duty-free shops, clothing, and jewelry to travel aids and forgotten items. Extras: ATL’s Trak-a-Line, which sends notifications to let passengers know approximately how long their wait will be for any given flight, is one of the high-tech features available to passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson. The high traffic of this airport has pushed it to become one of the most efficient airports in the country. Ground Transportation Within the airport, the Plane Train is an Automated People Mover (APM) that connects the six concourses with the terminal, with trains arriving every few minutes. The train also connects passengers to the Rental Car Center, and the Georgia International Convention Center. The Hartsfield-Jackson Rental Car Center, which was recently constructed starting in 2006, houses 13 rental car companies that serve airport passengers. Aside from rental cars, passengers whose final destination is Atlanta can choose from several options to travel from the airport into the city.

Several hotels offer shuttle bus service, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MARTA) offers bus service directly to the airport, picking up passengers outside of baggage claim. Chartered buses, limos, and taxis are also available from ATL, and the airport is located just a quick 10 mile drive from downtown Atlanta. Atlanta Airport Guide Atlanta Airport Guide Atlanta Georgia United States North America Airports The busiest airport in the world? Atlanta’s mega hub, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport . Since the late 1990s, this airport has led the world in the number of passengers served (92 million in 2011), and for the past decade, it has also been the airport with the most takeoffs and landings, at close to 900,000 annually. Named after William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson, 2 former Atlanta mayors, the airport is a substantial international hub, but most of the airport’s traffic is driven by domestic flights. Atlanta’s convenient location has made the airport a connection point from east to west, north to south.

Delta Airlines, which operates close to 60% of the flights at Hartsfield-Jackson, has been instrumental in the airport’s growth, working with its SkyTeam partners such as Air France and Korean Air to connect international flights to Delta’s vast US network. This international expansion led to the opening of the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal in 2012, which comprises Concourse F. The airport has been organized into 7 nearly identical horizontal concourses and connected by an underground tunnel, which carries passengers via a moving walkway, or on a people-mover called the Plane Train. Because of the airport’s size, sometimes travelers can spend up to 30 to 40 minutes transferring from one gate to another. If you travel with any frequency, chances are you will pass through Hartsfield-Jackson one of these days. Or as the popular joke goes, whether you go to heaven or hell, chances are you will need to connect in Atlanta to get there. Coming and Going Atlanta’s airport is located about 10 miles, or about 15 minutes from downtown Atlanta. There are a multitude of shuttle buses and taxis to get you back and forth.

The most convenient option is the MARTA station located inside the main terminal, which connects to the city’s public train system. However, as Atlanta is a mostly driving city, Hartsfield-Jackson hosts a state-of-the-art car rental center, which opened in 2009, and houses 10 of the major car rental companies that serve the airport. With close to 10,000 parking spaces, the car rental center has a purpose-built roadway that connects it to all major highways. Get Refreshed If your layover is particularly long, one of the best places to relax is the Minute Suites , located in Concourse B. Travelers can rent a private room equipped with a day bed, fresh pillows and blankets along with a TV and a desk to relax and work. If your needs require more than that, the best bet would be to head to one of Delta’s Sky Clubs , which are located in every concourse in the airport. Choose either a 1-time pass or a day pass, which can be used for multiple entries on the same day at any location, even at a different airport.

Most clubs are well-stocked with food, drinks and amenities, but head to the clubs in concourses E and F for a hot shower. Airport Amenities As one can imagine, Atlanta’s airport is filled with shopping and dining options. The airport has been one of the US aviation hubs that have spearheaded destination-dining inside their terminals. Not simply content to have its food options limited to fast-food chains and quick, on-the-go fare -- yes, you will find a few Chick-fil-As here -- the airport recently invited local chefs and local culinary institutions to set up within its concourses. The most popular of these options includes One Flew South , which is often regarded as one of the best fine-dining airport restaurants in the US. Its brand of cuisine is self-termed “Southernational” -- meaning, it’s food informed by international travels but with a distinctive Southern flavor. Located in Concourse E, the restaurant’s menu includes sushi along with pork belly and salmon hot pot. For the real Southern stuff, visit Paschal’s Southern Cooking, located in the main terminal, concourses A and C. The airport branches of this local Atlanta institution serve up traditional fried chicken, blackened-and-fried catfish, fried oysters and more.

Going Mobile Currently, Hartsfield-Jackson is wired throughout the entire airport with Wi-Fi. Rather than allow individual operators to install their own services, the airport has instituted a standard flat rate per day with an aim to offer free Wi-Fi to all travelers by fall 2013. *** NYC-based writer Andrew Yang’s most memorable flight into Hartsfield-Jackson was during the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption in 2010. The airport’s multitude of flights and its status as a mega-hub allowed him an easy connection home after being stranded for several days in Europe. The Hot List Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport - Biggest Airport in the World - YouTube Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport - Biggest Airport in the World Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Published on Jan 28, 2015 This is Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport - USA Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (IATA: ATL, ICAO: KATL, FAA LID: ATL), known locally as Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield, or Hartsfield–Jackson, is located seven miles (11 km) south of the central business district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It has been the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic since 1998, and by number of landings and take-offs since 2005. Hartsfield–Jackson held its ranking as the world's busiest airport in 2012, both in passengers and number of flights, by accommodating 95 million passengers (more than 260,000 passengers daily) and 950,119 flights. Many of the nearly one million flights are domestic flights from within the United States, where Atlanta serves as a major hub for travel throughout the Southeastern United States. The airport has 207 domestic and international gates.

Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport is a focus city for Southwest Airlines and is the primary hub of Delta Air Lines and Delta Connection partner ExpressJet; at nearly 1,000 flights a day, the Delta hub is the world's largest airline hub. Delta Air Lines flew 59.01% of passengers from the airport in February 2011, AirTran flew 17.76%, and ExpressJet flew 13.86%. In addition to hosting Delta's corporate headquarters, Hartsfield–Jackson is also the home of Delta's Technical Operations Center, which is the airline's primary maintenance, repair and overhaul arm. The airport has international service to North America, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia and Africa. As an international gateway to the United States, Hartsfield–Jackson ranks sixth. Category Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport - Airport Technology Improvements to the Central Passenger Terminal Complex (CPTC) Other airfield improvements Support facilities The hold baggage screening rooms and fifth runway extension were completed in 2006. CONRAC was completed in 2009.

The new south international terminal will be completed in 2011 and the south gate complex will be completed in 2015. Fifth runway (R10-28) Statistics show that Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is one of the most delay-impacted airports in the United States. The new unrestricted air carrier runway is an attempt to cut these delays by half. The fifth runway opened on 27 May 2006. It bridges Interstate 285 (the perimeter) on the south side of the airport. The massive project, involved building fill dirt foundations 11-storeys high in some places on the site and also destroyed some surrounding neighbourhoods. The runway has also cut off two cemeteries so that families will only be able to visit them occasionally. "Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is one of the most delay-impacted airports in the United States." Costing $1.28bn, the 9,000ft runway is the first addition to the Atlanta airport since 1984.

The fifth runway is expected to increase the capacity for landings and takeoffs by 40%, from an average of 184 flights an hour to 237 flights an hour. The runway is located 4,200ft south of the airport's southernmost runway, 9R-27L. It has a full-length parallel taxiway and dual north-south taxiways to connect to the existing airfield. The runway is designed to be able to accommodate CAT III operations (takeoffs and landings in all weather conditions). Runway 10-28 Runway 10-28 also crosses over ten traffic lands of Interstate 285, with two-thirds of the runway pavement on the west side and the remainder across the road on the east. Linking the two sections is a $159m bridge, 3,640m long and 152m wide. Most aircraft will touch down before they cross the bridged section, but some smaller aircraft are likely to make contact with the ground directly on top of the road tunnel.

The bridge will be able to withstand a load of up to 606,271t, which is slightly more than the weight of wide-bodied Boeing 747s and the Airbus A380. The contractor for this section of the runway was Archer Western Contractor Limited, who also constructed a parallel 137m-wide taxiway bridge about 61m from the main runway. Bovis Lend Lease is the senior company of a joint-venture team (Hartsfield-Jackson Construction Management), which managed the overall construction of the £1.2bn runway. The other companies in the JV are DMJM Aviation, Thacker Operating Company, Louis Berger and Associates and Luster CM Incorporated. The runway was completed during 2006.

Other contractors involved in the project include: Allied RMC (Atlanta, Georgia), who had a concrete batch operating on the site to provide concrete walls more than 3ft thick on which the high-strength beams rest; Pioneer Concrete Pumping (Smyrna, Georgia), who provided pumps for the concrete; 5R Contractors (a consortium of CW Matthews Contracting Company, APAC-Georgia and Thrasher Trucking Company), who won the $350m earthmoving contract; and Yancey Brothers Company (Atlanta, Georgia) who provided servicing and maintenance for the earthmoving equipment. "The new unrestricted air carrier runway is an attempt to cut these delays by half." Control tower A new FAA air traffic control tower was also constructed to provide a clear line-of-sight to the new runway complex. The new control tower is the tallest airport control tower in the US, with a height of over 398ft. The old control tower, 585ft away from the new control tower, was demolished in August 2006. Other projects The Hartsfield-Jackson Construction Management venture was one of only two construction managers selected for the overall $5.4bn airport redevelopment plan.

It was also involved in: the replacement of 4.5 million feet of low-voltage signal cable in the automated people mover; the aviation cargo buildings expansion; renovation of the passenger loading bridges; a 250,000ft² renovation of concourse C, and similar renovations in concourse D; a 10,000ft² addition and 10,000ft² renovation to the south terminal baggage claim equipment and facilities; a 20,000ft² conference centre; an 84,444ft² expansion to concourse A; renovation of the interior of concourse E; and a 750ft addition to the international concourse, to include a three-storey expansion and four international flight boarding gates. East international terminal (Maynard H Jackson Jr International Terminal) Boyken International, in partnership with Connico Incorporated (both of Atlanta, Georgia) and Gateway Designers were contracted to manage the costs and design of the estimated $1.35bn east international terminal programme. The terminal building will have 1.2 million ft² of space for 12 gates, federal inspection services, baggage handling facilities, flight / baggage information systems and retail space.

There will also be a 1,100-vehicle car park. The terminal will be located at the east end of the airfield, close to the existing international concourse E. "The new ATC tower is the tallest in the country." RLB/HNTB (a joint venture between Leo A Daly Company, Khafra Engineering Incorporated, Anthony C Baker Architects and Planners PC and Browder and LeGuizmon) is the overall project manager of the new terminal. Construction started in 2008, with completion expected in April 2012. Car rental(CONRAC) Opened in 2009, the Consolidated Car Rental (CONRAC) facility is located south of Camp Creek Parkway and west of Interstate I-85 on a 100ac site that was then rental car space. The $480m contract for construction management was won by a joint venture consisting of Jacobs Engineering Group Incorporated, E.R. Mitchell and Turner Construction.

The project included two four-level garage structures totaling 8,500 spaces, a 60,000ft² customer service facility, on-site roadways and vehicle storage areas, fuelling and wash facilities (including 140 gas pumps and 30 wash bays), a 73ac site preparation and site development, a 17ac public car park, an Automated People Mover (APM) system with stations at the passenger terminal complex, the new convention centre and the CONRAC facility, a maintenance facility, and a road with bridges from Airport Boulevard across I-85, CSX and MARTA to the CONRAC facility. The APM is a unique feature of the CONRAC facility. It reduces pollution and improves air quality by eliminating the need for shuttle buses. This also reduces traffic congestion. Automated people mover (APM) The airport's underground APM, connecting all concourses with the terminal, consists of 49 vehicles operating for over 20h each day throughout the week. The time between the trains at any of the 13 stations is approximately 2min.

With an investment of $163,000, the APM transports around 200,000 passengers between the terminal and the six concourses. South terminal "The terminal building will contain approximately 900,000ft² of space for ten gates." If predicted growth of air traffic becomes reality, the airport will need 31 additional domestic gates by 2010. It is envisaged that these gates will be located in a new terminal at an estimated cost of $1.22bn, south of the existing terminal. The south terminal would be connected to the existing terminals via an expanded APM system (to and from the CPTC). It would also require an expanded terminal area roadway network, enabling direct access to the terminal from major interstate highways. Plans have not yet been finalised for this construction, as it is dependent upon demand. Central passenger terminal complex improvements The central passenger terminal complex has also been renovated to accommodate the rising number of travellers passing through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

To improve passenger service upgrades have occurred, including: curbside services, security checkpoints, ticket counters, interior finishes, concessions, baggage, make-up facilities, baggage claim areas, vertical transportation, moving sidewalks and expand existing concourses. Further modification included taxiway enhancements as well as the expansion of air cargo and aircraft maintenance facilities. Many of these renovations were undertaken by the already-mentioned joint venture companies. Major upgrades included cosmetic enhancement of the CPTC, a terminal ceiling replacement program, HVAC equipment, drives and control systems to increase performance and new parking revenue control systems. Further improvements Improvement projects included airside modifications and upgrades, the extension of runway 9L-27R by 500ft to the east and 911ft to the west, and the construction of various connector taxiways. Approximately $381 million was earmarked for this additional work. "The airport has also embarked on a four-year $11m telecoms infrastructure upgrade programme." Future demand may support the need for additional flight kitchens, ground service equipment maintenance facilities, airport support facilities, aircraft maintenance and cargo facilities. The development program locates these facilities between runway 9R-27L and the new fifth runway.

The timescale for these projects will continue beyond the 2000-2010 HDP, and will cost an estimated $637m. The 35-year-old runway 8R-26L was also renovated and reopened in 2006. AirTran Airways had completed a $14.5m hangar facility at the airport, which is the airline's regional hub. It is located on the northwest corner of the airport, off Loop Road between the Delta Air Lines Inc's Technical Operations Center North and the city fuel farm. The 56,000ft² hangar is large enough to hold two Boeing 717 jets simultaneously and also has a 20,000ft², two-storey office building attached. Telecommunications improvements In May 2006 the airport embarked on a three-phase, four-year, $11m telecommunications infrastructure upgrade program to bring state-of-the-art voice, video and data communications to every part of the airport for passengers, employees and tenants.

The programme was rolled out in three phases, the first two of which involved building new telecommunications rooms, raceways, conduits, and cable trays and then installing a centralised, OC-192 fibre-based backbone for all voice, video and data traffic. The project contract was awarded to LGC Wireless. Share Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport There are no items matching the current filter There are no more items matching the current filter Back to top And the world's busiest airport is ... - CNN.com And the world's busiest airport is ... By Katia Hetter, CNN Updated 1:28 PM ET, Mon May 5, 2014 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – It was a regular day at the world's busiest airport, complete with the messes and victories of everyday life. On August 28, 2013, CNN spent 24 hours at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. See everything we found at CNN.com/ATL24 .

Hide Caption Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Passengers wait for flights in the International Terminal. Hide Caption 2 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – The interior of a cargo plane is barren as it awaits loading at the airport's UPS facility. Hide Caption 3 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Friends and family wait for Holly Houston in the arrivals lobby of the Domestic Terminal. Hide Caption Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – People ride an escalator near Concourse E. Hide Caption 5 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Shannon Nevin, 4, waits with her family at gate A21 for a flight to Savannah, Georgia.

Hide Caption 6 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – A view out the window on the upper level of Concourse D. Hide Caption 7 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – A server at One Flew South heads to the kitchen. Hide Caption 8 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Tiffanie Barriere serves a drink behind the bar at One Flew South on Concourse E. Hide Caption Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – People pass through the Domestic Terminal atrium. Hide Caption 10 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Sgt. Vito Wallace exits the elevator and heads into the Domestic Terminal atrium.

Hide Caption 11 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Mi Ja Choi sits in the atrium of the Domestic Terminal. Police say they don't know how she was injured. Repeated attempts to follow up with her or her family have been unsuccessful. Hide Caption 12 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Medic 3 -- a 10-year-old ambulance -- sits outside Fire Station 32, next to the tarmac near Concourse A. Hide Caption 13 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Passengers are reflected in the ceiling of the Domestic Terminal atrium. Hide Caption 14 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – A MAC Cosmetics trainee applies makeup to employee Ashley White.

Hide Caption 15 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Jodi Ferrill and her five children wait for a connecting flight to Denver. Hide Caption 16 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – A corkboard full of military patches and souvenirs is mounted to the wall of a Starbucks near a security checkpoint. Employees say troops who come through the airport offer the patches as a way of saying thanks, since the coffee shop won't let them pay. Hide Caption Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – William Talton cleans the baggage carousels. Hide Caption Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – A floor cleaner's power cable crosses the carpet. Hide Caption Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – A beagle named Vince helps customs officers with inspections.

Hide Caption 20 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Customs officers check the serial numbers of weapons that arrived on a flight from Johannesburg. It's hunting season in South Africa. Hide Caption 21 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Officer Michael Payne, known as Goob, is a member of the Atlanta Police Department's Bomb Tech Squad. Hide Caption 22 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Pipes, cables and pumps line the interior of a wheel well on a Southwest Airlines plane. Hide Caption 23 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Delta First Officer Michael Maier does an external inspection of a Delta 777 plane.

Hide Caption 24 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – The air traffic control tower offers a 360-degree view of the runways. Hide Caption 25 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Inside the Federal Aviation Administration's Terminal Radar Approach Control, or TRACON, Ken Hunihan monitors the systems that air traffic controllers use, including radar antennas and communication towers. Hide Caption Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Packages are sorted at the FedEx cargo facility. Hide Caption 27 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – A FedEx worker moves containers full of packages at the cargo facility. Hide Caption 28 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Airport employees take part in the annual Foreign Object Debris, or FOD, removal walk.

Hide Caption 29 of 30 Photos: ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport ATL24: Inside the world's busiest airport – Passengers take the escalator to ground transportation and baggage claim. Hide Caption Bombardier in the USA – Media Center High Resolution 1,9 MB High performing BOMBARDIER INNOVIA people mover system extension opens to passengers at new international terminal at the world’s busiest airport Bombardier Transportation is today celebrating the start of passenger services on the newly extended BOMBARDIER INNOVIA APM 100 automated people mover (APM) system at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The transit system extension will serve millions of world travellers at the brand new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal, which officially opened today. Bombardier won the turnkey system contract to extend the transit system to the new international terminal in December 2007. The contract included the supply of 10 INNOVIA APM 100 vehicles and all electrical and mechanical equipment associated with the 0.68 km (0.42 mile) dual-lane extension.

The APM system at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport first opened in September 1980. Since opening, the system has seen fleet expansions, extensions to the international concourse, two generations of replacement vehicles and numerous system upgrades. Bombardier has operated and maintained the APM system since the start of service in 1980, consistently delivering an on-time performance over 99.5%. David Barry, Vice President Americas, Systems, Bombardier Transportation added: “We congratulate our customer, City of Atlanta Department of Aviation, on the opening of the impressive Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal today. We place great value on our long-term relationship with Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.

As both the supplier and operator of the airport’s people mover system for more than 30 years, we are confident that our INNOVIA technology, together with the service delivery support of our highly skilled operation and maintenance team, will continue to provide exceptional service for passengers and satisfy the demanding requirements of the world’s busiest airport.” Bombardier’s plant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, designed and supplied the electrically powered, rubber tired, driverless INNOVIA APM 100 vehicles with BOMBARDIER CITYFLO 550 automatic train control. Bombardier also supplied communications and power distribution systems, station platform doors and outfitting the new maintenance and storage facility, as well as providing project management, systems engineering and integration and test and commissioning. Following the completion of the extension work, the system is now 4.51 km (2.8 miles) in length and operates with 59 vehicles. The journey time from the Main Terminal (Concourse T) to the new Concourse F takes approximately 10 minutes. Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is the busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic, moving nearly 92.4 million passengers in 2011.

Around 80% of these passengers ride the APM system which is one of the busiest and most complex systems of its kind, operating in an underground spine to connect the main terminal and the separate concourses. The transit system operates 20 hours each day, seven days a week and moves more than 200,000 passengers daily between the main terminal and air-side concourses. In 2005, Bombardier received a 10-year contract to continue to operate and maintain the APM system. Prior to the opening of the new international terminal, Bombardier’s APM Service Delivery Centre in Atlanta employed 95 people. With the completion of the APM system extension, this number has increased to 120 employees. Bombardier has supplied its highly reliable INNOVIA APM systems to more than 20 airports, including Beijing, China; Frankfurt, Germany; Rome, Italy; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Singapore; Madrid, Spain and London, United Kingdom. In the US, INNOVIA APM systems are in operation at Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Seattle-Tacoma, Tampa, San Francisco and Sacramento airports.

In 2011, Bombardier launched its latest INNOVIA APM 300 technology in the Middle East, winning an order from the King Abdulaziz International Airport. This was closely followed by an order from the Munich, Germany Airport. Bombardier is also installing a new INNOVIA APM 200 system at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in the USA which will open near the end of 2012. About Bombardier Systems Bombardier Transportation’s Systems division has delivered more than 50 turnkey transit systems in 18 countries around the globe. The division’s range of solutions includes the driverless INNOVIA family of automated people mover, metro and monorail systems, as well as light rail, heavy metro and intercity systems. The Systems division also has more than 40 years of experience in providing comprehensive operation and maintenance services. About Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation, a global leader in rail technology, offers the broadest portfolio in the rail industry and delivers innovative products and services that set new standards in sustainable mobility.

BOMBARDIER ECO4 technologies – built on the four cornerstones of energy, efficiency, economy and ecology – conserve energy, protect the environment and help to improve total train performance. Bombardier Transportation is headquartered in Berlin, Germany and has a very diverse customer base with products or services in more than 60 countries. It has an installed base of over 100,000 vehicles worldwide. About Bombardier Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation. Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, we posted revenues of $18.3 billion USD. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier . Follow Bombardier Transportation on Twitter @BombardierRail .

BOMBARDIER, INNOVIA, CITYFLO and ECO4 are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. For information

Question: Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the world's busiest airport (more than 92 million passengers in 2011) serves which US city?
Answer: Atlanta